iPhone 5 vs. iPhone 4S: 10 Reasons the New Smartphone Wins Out

NEWS ANALYSIS: Apple's iPhone 5 is launching on Sept. 21 with a host of improvements that aren't available on the company's iPhone 4S.

Apple's
iPhone 5 is finally launching on Sept. 21. And when it does, expect
consumers around the globe to rush to carrier and Apple stores and do their
best to get their hands on what will undoubtedly be a short supply of iPhones.
Once again, Apple has found a way to appeal to customers who want the latest
and greatest features today's smartphones offer. And like always, its sales
will reflect that.
But let's not forget that the iPhone 5 will be backed up by
not one, but two other smartphones: the iPhone 4 and the iPhone 4S. Apple has
started offering the iPhone 4 for free, and the iPhone 4S will be sold for $99.
The result? More options for customers.

However, the iPhone 4 is obsolete at this point, and likely
won't sit atop too many customer wishlists. The iPhone 4S and iPhone 5,
however, will duel it out. And for today's users, whether they are consumers or
IT professionals, trying to decide which smartphone should be purchased â and
which should be ignored â might not be so easy.

So, to make it a bit easier, we're going to look at the 10 ways
in which the iPhone 5 beats out its predecessor.
1. A better camera
Apple has offered up a far better camera in the iPhone 5
that comes with an 8-megapixel sensor, panoramic support, and an enhanced lens
that'll do a better job of snapping photos in low-light areas. It's a nice
improvement for those who have been snapping photos with the iPhone 4S camera
for far too long.
2. 4G LTE
The mobile market has moved past 3G wireless service. Therefore,
sticking with the 3G available in the iPhone 4S might not make much sense. Apple's
iPhone 5 comes with full support for 4G Long-Term Evolution (LTE), meaning
surfing the Web on that device will offer up much faster speeds.
3. The long-awaited
A6 processor
Apple's iPhone 4S got the "S" for delivering better
performance than its predecessor, the iPhone 4. The iPhone 5, however, comes
with a new chip, the A6, that'll offer twice the processing power found in the
iPhone 4S. Plus, it has twice the graphics power of its predecessor.
Translation: speed, speed, speed.
4. The 4-inch screen
Apple's 4-inch display is notably bigger than the 3.5-inch
option available in the iPhone 4S. And although they both come with the same
Retina display pixels per inch, the additional screen real estate offered by
the iPhone 5 is worth getting for those who want to play games and access apps.
5. More storage
Although Apple's iPhone 4S used to come with 16GB, 32GB and
64GB of storage, now
that the iPhone 5 is around, customers will need to choose the 16GB option,
only. Apple's iPhone 5 is the device that now comes with the most storage
space. Keep that in mind before choosing one or the other.
6. More mobility
Apple made it clear in its presentation that the iPhone 5
was designed to be more mobile than the iPhone 4S. To achieve that goal, the
company made the device substantially thinner and lighter than its predecessor.
However, it is a bit taller, so keep that in mind.
7. Faster syncing
Apple has launched a new port in the iPhone 5, called
Lightning. Although it hasn't made many folks who own dock accessories happy,
Apple claims it'll deliver faster syncing speeds and deliver a host of other
benefits customers will like. Plus, it's smaller, giving Apple more leeway with
its product designs.
8. Improved calling
According to Apple, it
has added several features into the iPhone 5 to improve the calling experience.
The device has better noise-canceling features in the earpiece and has added a
third microphone spot to improve with voice recognition. That should translate
to better calling experiences on the iPhone.
9. A slightly nicer
design
Although the design differences between the iPhone 5 and the
iPhone 4S aren't all that great, it's hard not to think the newer smartphone
has the edge. As noted, it's thinner and lighter, and it has a nice, aluminum
backing that adds a bit more class to the otherwise glass-based handset. The iPhone
5 wins on design.
10. A longer wait
until obsolescence
Finally, we must consider the company that's building the
iPhone. With every product Apple sells, it has an obsolescence plan in mind.
Basically, the sooner it can force a device into obsolescence, the better. For
consumers, that calculation, therefore, must be made. The
iPhone 4S will be obsolete a year before the iPhone 5. Keep that in mind
before buying your next device.
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Don Reisinger is a freelance technology columnist. He started writing about technology for Ziff-Davis' Gearlog.com. Since then, he has written extremely popular columns for CNET.com, Computerworld, InformationWeek, and others. He has appeared numerous times on national television to share his expertise with viewers. You can follow his every move at http://twitter.com/donreisinger.